This invention relates generally to the field of automatic telephone answering systems and, in particular, to an apparatus for verifying the presence of a remote user.
There are various types of systems which automatically answer an incoming call and maintain a telephone line connection which are broadly defined as automatic telephone answering systems. These systems include, for example, automatic telephone message recording equipment, message recording systems having remote access message playback, automatic telephone call forwarding equipment, automatic dial-up alarm receiving equipment, automatic answering data entry systems, and other telephone devices used in association with modem equipment.
In a typically operating sequence, a user may establish a remote telephone line connection with the telephone answering system. After the connection has been established, the user may, for example, initiate playback of a recorded message which is stored in the system. In some situations the user may decide to hang up before playback of the message ends. However, the telephone line connection may be maintained even after the user hangs up. This may result in telephone usage fees being charged to the user for a period of time after the user hangs up. This also may create inefficiencies in the telephone network system due to the fact that the originally assigned telephone line is occupied even though the user is no longer utilizing the telephone line connection.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a simple and cost effective apparatus for verifying the presence of a remote user that overcomes the disadvantages described above.
One aspect of the invention provides a telephone answering apparatus for verification of the presence of a remote user including a detector, and a controller operatively connected to the detector and to a timer, wherein the controller restarts the timer upon detection of a telephone signal from a remote user and terminates a telephone connection if the telephone signal is not detected within a set period of time. The telephone signal may preferably be any audio signal such as, for example, a Dual Tone Multi Frequency signal, and the detector may preferably be a telephone signal detector. An audio player may preferably be operatively connected to the controller. A 2-wire to 4-wire network circuit may preferably connected to the detector and a switch may preferably be operatively connected to the 2-wire to 4-wire network circuit.
Another aspect of the invention provides a method of verifying the presence of a remote user. A timer, a detector, and a controller are provided. A telephone connection between a remote user and a telephone answering apparatus is established. A timer sequence is initiated, and at least one telephone signal from the remote user is detected. The timer sequence is restarted in response to the detection of the at least one telephone signal. The timer sequence ends and the telephone connection is terminated. The telephone signal may preferably be a Dual Tone Multi Frequency signal.
Another aspect of the invention provides a method of verifying the presence of a remote user. A timer, a detector, an audio player, and a controller are provided. A telephone line connection between a remote user and a telephone answering apparatus is established. A timer sequence is initiated and a message is played. At least one telephone signal from the remote user is detected. The timer sequence is restarted in response to the detection of the at least one telephone signal. The timer sequence ends, and the playing of the message is stopped. The telephone connection is terminated. The telephone signal may preferably be a Dual Tone Multi Frequency signal.
The invention provides the foregoing and other features, and the advantages of the invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.